I find something called urge surfing really helpful to get past strong urges. Have pasted a quick summary of the technique below taken from a worksheet a psychologist gave me.
Urge surfing is a mindfulness technique used to get through an urge without acting on destructive impulses. When you notice an urge, rather than fighting against it, imagine you are on a surfboard riding with it. Notice the shifting sensations, how they rise and fall, come and go. Try to observe and describe the urge in a non-judgmental and non-attached manner.
One way to surf the urge is by breaking it down into 1 or 5 minute intervals – set a timer, and when the timer goes off – reassess your urge and decide what you want to. Saying I will wait for ABIT and decide later can be easier than just telling the urge no.
In this way, you can make the time riding out the urge more manageable and break the connection between the urge and behaviour. Research tells us that urges typically last for 20-30 minutes, which means the feeling will pass whether you engage in a behaviour or not. Over time, you are able to reteach your brain that it is possible to experience an urge without acting on it.
While waiting for the next timer you can try distraction techniques. I have put a few examples below but if you have ones that have helped you in the past use those.
- Take a warm shower
- Take a few minutes to focus on your breathing
- Call a friend or family member
- Play a playlist of your favourite songs
- Watch funny You Tube videos
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